


august

by myquirkywriting



Category: Taylor Swift (Musician), folklore - Taylor Swift (Album)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28816077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myquirkywriting/pseuds/myquirkywriting
Summary: inspired by Taylor Swift's folklore, specifically the love triangle. This is august.But I can see us lost in the memoryAugust slipped away into a moment in time'Cause it was never mineAnd I can see us twisted in bedsheetsAugust sipped away like a bottle of wine'Cause you were never mine
Relationships: Inez/James





	august

A tale that becomes folklore is one that is passed down and whispered around. Sometimes even sung about. The lines between fantasy and reality blur and the boundaries between truth and fiction become almost indiscernible. Speculation, over time, becomes fact. – Taylor Swift

~

**Chapter One**

**Summer of James**

**NAME THAT BUILDING FESTIVAL**

**Saturday, July 7 th, 2007**

**6:30 pm on Main St.**

_Join us around the **FIRE PITS ON THE BEACH**_

_for s'mores making with_

_**HOLIDAY BAKING CO.** _

_Don't miss..._

_**THE HAPPY HOLIDAYS QUARTET** _

_as they give us a taste of their_

_Summer Daze Performance!_

_Don't forget the most important part of all,_

_the annual **NAME THAT BUILDING COMPETITION**_

_Vote June 24 th – 30th _

_via Ballot Drop boxes_

_Visit Holiday Gazebo & Carousel at 5pm for_

_**PHOTOS WITH HATTIE THE HOUSE** _

~

housegirl

JULY 1st, 2007, 6:56 P.M. ~ 5 COMMENTS

Who am I? Well, I live in a town where houses look like they each have their own personalities. Some look like the houses in Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands, square homes painted bright pastel colors. Others look like they have faces, as if they come alive at night. They sit up on stilts. Or are they legs? When the houses get tired of this place, do they get up and leave? Simply walk away? It must be nice to be able to do that. Others look like what I imagine Barbie's sister would live in, short and stout like a teapot. She would be called _cute_ but never _beautiful._ Another looks completely normal except for the bars that adorn every window and door, as if the owners are trying to keep people out and away from them. Some of the houses even have names, such as James, Betty, and Inez. Which is how I got my name. Yep, my parents named me after a house. Well, the house was named after my grandmother, who my parents _claim_ they named me after. But still. It's not very romantic. 

This town is a beach town, a place where most houses are owned by rich people who only come here during the summer. There are a few people like my family that have lived here for their whole lives, having their houses passed down from generation to generation. The lucky few, as my dad calls us. The roads are paved with stones and there are lots and lots of seagulls— _everywhere_. There are small passageways between houses, some houses all look the same.

_I fucking hate this town._

At least, I hated it until James came. His family bought the house named Betty, which just so happened to be the house next to mine. I was only eleven at the time but as soon as I met him, with his toes in the sand down by the beach, I knew that we would be something. James made this town bearable. He loved of all the stupid traditions that I told him about, like how every summer the town of Holiday holds an annual “name that house/building” contest where the person who can come up with the best name gets to be part of a festival. They even have a parade where the winner is crowned the King or Queen of Names. That's how my house got it's name. My dad wanted to name the house that was passed down to him after my grandmother, who I never met. She was supposedly a woman of few words, but those words could break down walls. She wasn't someone who sugar coated things in order to make you feel better. She told you the truth, in all of its dirty actuality. It was like she shined a light so bright that it made everything in its presence look like crap. That was Inez, a woman to be reckoned with. My dad always tells me how much like her I am, which he says is both a blessing and a curse.

But back to James. He is the type of guy that you become friends with before anything else. The James I know is a quiet, reserved guy who keeps to himself most of the time. He looks as though he is always lost in thought, too busy thinking about whatever it is to be bothered to notice what is happening around him. He loved the “name that house/building” contest, thinking that it was at least clever. He had no idea how annoying it was, how absolutely irritating it was to be named after a house that won the contest one year. I know that my dad had good intentions but instead of being able to tell the story of how I was named after my strong grandmother, I was known as the girl named after a house. I guess you could say that sometimes people are different when they are in another environment. Sometimes they are sweet and quiet, other times they are downright bossy and rude. Sometimes they are stuck in a small town, sick and tired of the same old routine to the point where they start to hate everything, when in reality they are just looking for a bit of adventure.

The point is, I think that I'm falling for James, with his mess of curly hair that he tries so desperately to straighten and his true self that he keeps hidden away, only showing it to me alone. I feel like I can truly be myself with James, as if we are in some sort of fairy-tale and he has enchanted me. I am enchanted. He is wonderment and I am in wonder.

COMMENTS

arbitrary_berry

07/01/07 @ 7:15 P.M.

Reply Link Thread

The Name That Building Contest is the best part of this town, stop lying.

housegirl

07/01/07 @ 7:25 P.M.

Reply Link Thread

Shut up, Mathilda. You're so annoying.

badlovisa

07/01/07 @ 8:15 P.M.

Reply Link Thread

I'd like to name _your_ building ;)

housegirl

07/01/07 @ 8:20 P.M.

Reply Link Thread

stop commenting this.

Jamessintown

07/02/07 @ 1:34 A.M.

Reply Link Thread

wait, what...?

~

To: Inez Kitley (housegirl@gmail.com)

From: James Reuter (Jamesisintown@gmail.com)

Subject: summer ;)

07/01/07 @ 4:55 P.M.

hi ez,

well it's that time of the year again, where my family goes on vacation to their favorite spot in holiday. I can't believe that they started this tradition when I was just a kid and have kept it up since then. They don't seem like the type of people to ever keep up traditions, well...that's not true. They keep up traditions because to them, traditions mean that the outside world thinks that you have your shit together. But they don't, and haven't for countless years. I wish they would just get a divorce already, considering how much they loathe each other. I sometimes wonder if they care about each other at all anymore. Did I tell you that I'm 95% sure that my dad is having an affair with his secretary? How predictable. I tried to tell my mom, but she brushed it off. I think she knows. How could she not? Maybe she's having an affair too. I mean, I kinda hope that she is because otherwise that's really sad.

Anyway. I'll be there again this summer, to only just barely tolerate the annual Name That Building! Competition. I can hear the vocal styling of that weird barber shop quartet band, what were their names? “We Wish You A Merry Housemas Quartet?” At least they have the s'mores thing down at the beach, otherwise it would be completely intolerable. And you, of course, you make the whole thing the most tolerable town in history. I honestly don't understand how you can live in a place that isn't open for most of the year. What exactly do you even do in the winter, when the tourists are gone and all of the shops are closed? I guess I'll ask you when I see you next, which is very soon!

So,

see you when I see you.

James

~

**James** ❤️❤️

hey. I saw your blog post.

**James**

I don't know what to say...

**James**

You know how I feel. It's hard for me.

**Inez**

I know.

**Inez**

I can't help how I feel.

**James**

I know, I'm not blaming you. I just...

**Inez**

You don't have to tell me how you feel. This thing we have, it's...

**James**

incomprehensible

**Inez**

Look at you, using big words!

**James**

I learned from the best

**Inez**

You flatter me

**James**

Always ;)

**Inez**

Ew, you know how I feel about the winky face!

**James**

You find it irresistible?

**Inez**

As if.

**James**

Meet me behind the mall

**~**

housegirl

JULY 3rd, 2007, 1:03 P.M. ~ 5 COMMENTS

The mall is weird. I don't know how we all collectively decided that this was the place that we were going to hang out all the time. I suppose that it's because it's all in one building. Our parents drop us off and know that we're not going to get lost. It's the day before July 4th so of course the mall was packed full of teenagers, all dropped off by their parents. Even at the safety of the mall, there are cliques. We all put ourselves into boxes without even thinking about it. We spend so much time trying to fit it to the point where we don't consider anything else. Well, I think that's stupid. I think that it's stupid to put yourself into a box and never go outside of your comfort zone. Life isn't like that, you know? At least I hope it isn't. I like to think it isn't...but maybe it is. Maybe we are always put into different boxes throughout our lives without ever realizing it. It's like we're all stuck inside The Breakfast Club, forced to identify by labels that don't really define us.

The Princess. The Athlete. The Basket Case. The Athlete. The Criminal.

_What does that even mean?_

It's like one of those cheesy quizzes where a couple of questions is supposed to define exactly who you are as a person. But I have never identified with any of those quizzes. They always get it wrong. I'm so much more then what can be defined in only a few words. Like Meredith Brooks says: I'm a bitch, I'm a lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother, I'm a sinner, I'm a saint. And you know what? I do not feel ashamed. Maybe I should. That's what most people like to say to me. Maybe I should be ashamed of the person that I am, the loud mouth that I am, the sarcastic girl who doesn't give a fuck. But I don't. And I'm not afraid to say it. You shouldn't either. I think it's stupid that a boy can say whatever he wants and he's usually heralded for it. But when a girl speaks her mind, suddenly there's a problem. 

Anyway, the mall sucks.

COMMENTS

arbitrary_berry

07/03/07 @ 2:00 P.M.

Reply Link Thread

You say that the mall is horrible, yet I find you there all the time.

housegirl

07/03/07 @ 2:05 P.M.

Reply Link Thread

Mathilda, we've talked about this. You know that this town has literally nothing to do. The mall is my only solace.

badlovisa

07/03/07 @ 3:15 P.M.

Reply Link Thread

I'd like to go inside _your_ mall ;)

housegirl

07/03/07 @ 3:20 P.M.

Reply Link Thread

why do you keep commenting these things?

Jamessintown

07/03/07 @ 5:44 P.M.

Reply Link Thread

It was fun though...

~

Meet me behind the mall,

we'll walk the halls together,

like we can't do at school

and I'll pretend like we're happy,

and you'll pretend too

we can act like this summer goes on

f o r e v e r

until the cold air creeps in

and I'm left waiting

behind the mall

we'll fill our glasses with cheap wine

and wrap ourselves up in bed sheets,

always tangled together

pretending that we belong

knowing that when the beaches

close for summer,

you'll leave me yet again

you were never mine

you'll buy me something nice,

swear you picked it out for me

but i'll know that it only makes

you think of her

and we'll tangle ourselves together

hoping that things will get better,

that we'll be better

it'll take one time for me to say

“get in the car”

and time will slip away

stealing the summer

and i'll wear the cardigan

meant for her

~

**James**

You know I have to go back

**Inez**

Why?

**James**

Because I don't live here. It's just a summer home.

**Inez**

And I'm just a summer thing.

**James**

Don't be like that...

**Inez**

Like what?

**James**

You know that I don't have any control over the situation. There's nothing that I can do. My parents won't let me stay. I have to go back.

**Inez**

And leave me behind.

**James**

I'll be back next summer...

**Inez**

What if I'm not here?

**James**

What?

**Inez**

What if I'm not here when you get back?

**James**

But you're always there, you'll always be there

**Inez**

But what if I'm not? What if I get tired of waiting for you every summer? What if I want something more, something else?

**James**

Like what?

**Inez**

I don't know yet, but I'll figure it out

**James**

I'm sure you will...

~

THE NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE OF ARTS

June 2nd, 2007

Dear Inez Kitley,

Congratulations! On behalf of the Admission and Financial Aid Committee, it is my pleasure to offer you admission to the New England College of Arts, Class of 2011.

Your thoughtful application convinced us that you have the intellectual energy, imagination, and talent to flourish at the New England University of Arts. Among the 20,000 applications we read, your distinguished record of academic excellence and creative talent stood out. We are thrilled to welcome you to the NECA community and look forward to the unique and extraordinary contributions we know you will make to the intellectual and extracurricular life of our campus.

The next step is now in your hands. As NECA is likely only one of several options you will consider in the coming weeks, I hope you will use that time to learn more about us. We invite you to participate in Admissions Weekend 2007, a two-day program that will introduce you to the intellectual plangency and energizing campus life that define NECA. Information about that event is included with this letter. Whatever decision you land on, we ask that you complete the enclosed enrollment response card and return it to us by the postmark deadline of May 2nd, 2007. Should you decide to matriculate at NECA – and we sincerely hope you do – we will send enrollment information to you in late May.

While we have every reason to believe that you will complete this school year successfully, remember that your admission is dependent on upon your continued strong academic performance in the program you presented to us in your application.

Once again, I extend my congratulations on your admission to NECA and welcome you to the NECA family.

Sincerely,

Nadia Kulkarni


End file.
